In our article series « Testia Experts », we present short interviews with our employees – the experts that really make Testia what it is. In this issue we speak with Romain Raimbault, Team Leader for Maintenance in Operational Conditions at Testia.
You can also watch this video interview on YouTube.
Can you give us an overview of your career path and your current role at Testia?
I manage the MOC activity (Maintenance in Operational Conditions), which encompasses 4 core activities at Testia: periodic verification, after-sales service, procurement/resale, and equipment fleet management.
Our main clients are the French Army, on behalf of the DMAé (French Defense Aeronautical Maintenance Agency), the Belgian Army, we also work with airlines as well as other periodic verification providers who subcontract services to us.
What initially drew you to this field early in your career and what led you along this part at Testia?
I started my career in French Guiana at the Space Centre, in a physical testing lab. I have always worked in the maintenance field. Following my experience at the Space Centre, I worked as a flight test contractor at Airbus, in an equipment testing laboratory.
I joined Testia four years ago as a Business Developer since I had built similar activities in my previous roles, and because NDT was a new field to me that I was eager to discover. In this sales role at Testia, my team and I responded to a call for tender for military equipment maintenance. At that time, I had asked to lead the project if we won, which is what happened. That is why I am now in charge of the MOC activity.
Why is MOC so vital across the industrial sector, especially in NDT?
Maintenance in Operation Conditions is critical: when using equipment, we must ensure that it is in proper working order and fully compliant with required technical specifications, especially metrological requirements. This is particularly crucial in NDT, where inspectors rely on these tools to inspect aerostructures and aircraft. Safety is at stake, which is why equipment must be in top condition to ensure absolute accuracy of test results.
What are the main day-to-day challenges when it comes to ensuring your customers’ equipment reliability?
Our greatest challenge is not necessarily reliability itself. Reliability is essential, but it depends on the hardware selected. By drawing on our NDT expertise, we can help clients choose the most reliable equipment. My primary mission is to guarantee asset availability and ensure the timely delivery of inspected, ready-to-use equipment whenever our clients need it.
How would you describe the culture and mindset within the MOC team and across Testia in general?
Within the MCO team, there is strong team spirit. We have a lighthearted monthly tradition where I name an “Employee of the Month” to recognize an outstanding initiative or milestone achieved. It is well received and appreciated by the entire team. Above all, we share a strong customer focus: our priority is meeting customer needs. When urgent requests arise, we mobilize every resource to respond promptly.
What stood out when I joined four years ago was that colleagues are always available to help. Collaboration and solidarity are central to Testia’s culture, which immediately appealed to me.
You hired several people for the launch of this business. What qualities do you prioritize when bringing on new talent?
To support this activity, we had to recruit for roles that did not exist yet at Testia or were still emerging such as schedulers, planners, and dedicated logistics staff to match our growing scale. What I look for in candidates is team spirit and strong communication skills. Our business requires constant cross-functional collaboration and tight coordination, so seamless information flow is essential.
I also look for people who demonstrate initiative. When we started to work for the French Army, we started from scratch. We had the vision, but needed to build the execution. Everyone contributed to establishing our operating processes.
Today, our customers are genuinely satisfied with our services. Just last week at ETPS in Clermont-Ferrand, end-users confirmed how satisfied they are with Testia’s service delivery and responsiveness.
Thanks for taking the time for this interview!
Watch the video interview YouTube
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